From the age of 15 until he became king at the age of 30, David spent those fifteen years running and hiding from King Saul. But for those fifteen years, God had David in a leadership training program. David was learning to be a leader of people and learning to trust his faithful God. The quality of great leaders are not made in a few months, but over years, and in the midst of extreme challenges.
When you think of great leaders what qualities come to mind? In the story of David and His Mighty Men, we see two qualities of David as a leader. The first is that David assembled an army that was second to none. The men were warriors who single handedly defeated Philistine armies, and they would do anything to serve David.
The second quality we see is that David “inquired of God.” If you do a search of that phrase, you will see that David regularly “inquired of God.” That is probably why it is said of David, “he is a man after God’s heart.”
How often do you inquire of God in the midst of your day? I generally inquire of God on really big stuff, but I have to admit that I operate too often in the flesh. God wants me to inquire of him for all situations — not just the “big stuff.” I am working to inquire of God in the midst of my daily challenges — the small stuff — and encourage you to also follow David’s example. I hope that we will be considered men after God’s heart.